Submarines

7th December 2018

Nuclear watchdog investigating incidents at Devonport Dockyard. Cranes used in the refit of nuclear submarine will be the focus of the investigations by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. The agency which inspects nuclear facilities has confirmed it is investigating two incidents involving cranes at Devonport Dockyard. According to a report by the BBC cranes that lift nuclear fuel have been forced to stop on two occasions during a £200m refit of nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard. The vessel is located at 9 Dock and has been in place since 2015 for a four-year refit and an unscheduled refuelling with a new nuclear core. A spokesman for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), which regulates nuclear safety, said: “We are currently investigating following two separate incidents involving cranes at Devonport Royal Dockyard Limited during September 2018.

The Trident submarine replacement programme will swallow up an extra £400 million of the Ministry of Defence’s budget this year, it was announced yesterday. The move came only weeks after the cash-strapped department was given a £1 billion funding boost in the budget and has renewed fears about a funding black hole at the MoD.

Clients have included Greenpeace, Nuclear Free Local Authorities, WWF Scotland and the UK Government’s Committee on Radioactive Waste Management.

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